Setting up RootedLABs compute groups with farmers that integrate selling computing power to also heat greenhouses and urban farms, drastically cutting carbon footprints linked to conventional fuel-based methods.

​​RootedLABs, working alongside the GreenPill Ottawa Chapter, is dedicated to tackling the urgent issues of food insecurity and climate change, advocating for innovative and inclusive solutions that unite technology and communities, break down resource barriers, and promote open-source principles to enhance global agriculture.

The problem:

The world’s population has more than doubled over the past 50 years. This alone has caused immense stress on the natural environment and as a result, we are experiencing soil degradation, depletions of groundwater, pollution, ocean acidification, accelerated rates of extinction, global warming, droughts, diseases, high concentrations of CO 2 and mass deforestation. In a time of increasing population growth, climate change and environmental degradation, we need agricultural systems that come with a more balanced portfolio of sustainability benefits.

A path forward:

Urban agriculture has been defined as “reconnecting with the community through food, jobs and economic development” and is a sustainable solution.

The project is open-sourced, and starts a workforce who could move on and create their own advanced agricultural businesses in other cities globally.

Our goal is to have LABs located all over the world, allowing small farmers, co-ops and urban farms set up to not only use computing power to heat their greenhouses/shipping container farmers but also create new revenue sources to them by selling that computing power. With credits (issued every second), payments, governance and data onchain this allows us to grow outside of Canada.

This program is 100x expandable with the right structure and funding

The expected short-term outcomes of the project include immediate reductions in carbon emissions from greenhouse heating, improved energy efficiency in farming operations, and increased resilience for farmers through reliable and cost-effective heating solutions. In the long term, the project aims to establish sustainable practices in agriculture by scaling up the use of computing power for greenhouse heating, significantly lowering overall carbon footprints in agriculture, enhancing food security, and fostering economic growth in communities through using new tech in practical and innovative ways.

The RootedLABs distribtuive.network is already built on blockchain (EVM) and issues out credits and payments via tokens. This also allows us to easily work cross-boarder.

Since GG20 we have

• As part of OperationWebTree, we were able to help plant 160 White Pine seedlings, with 8 different community partners across the Ottawa-Gatineau area.

• We have set up the initial systems and scripts to run a RootedLabs x Distributive Computing IOT computing network, with the next stage being running tests in local Greenhouses to recycle the heat generated from the computing to heat the greenhouses.

We are working with Dan from Distributive Computing to use this as a pilot to help create a larger RootedLABs program with recycled computing heating systems across Canada and globally. This is also a way to help support smaller farms and community-run initiatives that struggle to sustain themselves. Greenhouses and farms will receive a portion of the funding generated from running the IOT computing network, while saving on heating costs.

We have created the initial system that can be run on any computer and be tested.

Since GG19 we have:

• Hired an engineer to help build out our open-source engineering specs for our urban farm (shipping container) - these can be used by anyone wanting to open a RootedLABs in their local community, or simply want to start a farm of their own. (samples below)

• in talks with https://distributive.network/ to partner up and have them sponsor our first shipping container

• were accepted into the AgriNEXT accelerator by Foresight Canada for Canadian AgriTech Companies (https://foresightcac.com/agrinext-venture-application)

• issued on-chain credentials to our founding contributors, helping set up the groundwork for our future decentralized network/DAO plans

• participating in OperationWebTree and along with GreenPill Ottawa, have purchased 160 White Pines as part of a global reforestation campaign in partnership with Silvi

• gave a presentation to Nimiq on AgriTech, RootedLABs and how we're blending AI x Crypto to tackle climate change, food insecurity and the need for more youth to enter agriculture. Looking to potentially partner with them in some way.

• wrote a paper 'Future Global Food Demand and Population at Risk of Hunger https://docs.google.com/document/d/1CD3ZA_n4GIwgxGvuJTQ5dh76HWK8Uf8fZXrnHxW5BLg/edit?usp=sharing

• Published The OttawaLABs outline + phases (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1IgpzybwzB8wW0pi-lboIhmwK8rqNc0E6DMuWEsnuR80/edit?usp=sharing)

You can find out more about what we are up to, or read our docs here:

• Our Ottawa LABs engineering specs - (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1cVIISyPKNagTBjjO19he_xj3Xo-zjR7M6PSwgWZYoLE/edit)

• A link to a presentation we gave to Nimiq a couple of weeks ago on RootedLABs and DePIN networks - (https://www.canva.com/design/DAF8I4kz370/Kr666wfHN_BTHr9VkfSW0g/view?utm_content=DAF8I4kz370&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link&utm_source=editor)

• wrote a paper 'Future Global Food Demand and Population at Risk of Hunger Written by Amanda Gloor - RootedLABs' https://docs.google.com/document/d/1CD3ZA_n4GIwgxGvuJTQ5dh76HWK8Uf8fZXrnHxW5BLg/edit?usp=sharing

We are a project being incubated by GreenPill Ottawa